Speaker Biographies

Updated 2/11/20

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Keynote Speaker: Michele PaynMichele Payn connects the people and science of food and farming as principal of Cause Matters Corp. She is known for being a community catalyst, a passionate advocate for global agriculture - and antagonizing people into action. Michele has worked with farmers in more than 25 countries, raised over $5 million in sponsorship's for agriculture education and founded AgChat and FoodChat on Twitter. She is the author of three books: Food Bullying, a #1 Best Seller; Food Truths from Farm to Table, an IPPY bronze medal winner; and No More Food Fights!. She also hosts the Food Bullying podcast. Michele's degrees are in Agricultural Communications and Animal Science from Michigan State University. She resides with her 'city slicker' husband and cow-loving daughter on a small farm in central Indiana. Michele connects conversations around the food plate at www.causematters.com and socially through @mpaynspeake​r.​

CSU SPUR CAMPUS AT THE NATIONAL WESTERN CENTER UPDATE

Dr. James Pritchett-Interim Dean, Colorado State University, College of Ag Sciences​​Dr. Pritchett’s passion is serving Colorado agriculture with CSU’s Land Grant Mission as a guide. He currently leads as the Interim Dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) and the Interim Director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) at Colorado State University. On a day-to-day basis, Interim Dean Pritchett catalyzes strategic planning and analysis for CAS and directs administration and operations for research, learning and engagement activities. Originally from southeastern Colorado, Pritchett is a two-time alumnus of CSU, and he received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in Agriculture and Applied Economics

LEGISLATION BRANDED FOR AGRICULTURE

Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg - Colorado State Senator, Farmer, and Rancher ​​​Jerry Sonnenberg currently serves as a ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee. He has served in the legislature since 2007 and currently represents over 21,000 square miles of some of the best agricultural production in the country. He attributes his leadership skills to the training he acquired while participating in Class 8 of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program. Jerry Sonnenberg continues to farm and ranch with his wife and two sons, spanning five generations, making their living in agriculture in northeast Colorado.

GENERAL LUNCH SESSION

Kate Greenberg- Commissioner of Agriculture, State of Colorado​Kate Greenberg was appointed the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture by Governor Jared Polis in December 2018. Greenberg was the Western Program Director for National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) where she was involved in water issues. This included working closely with Colorado's Basin Round tables and being involved with the state's Water Plan and Colorado River Basin water policy. Over the last six years, she has worked with producers across Colorado to reshape policies and programs at the state and federal level including working on issues of farmland affordability, agriculture education, access to capital and credit, and Food Safety Modernization Act Compliance.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis​Governor Jared Polis is an entrepreneur, education leader, and public servant. After launching several successful companies, Governor Polis committed himself to making sure other Coloradans had the opportunity to pursue their dreams through founding schools for at-risk students and new immigrants and started nonprofits to help veterans. Prior to serving as Governor, Polis served on the State Board of Education and represented Colorado's 2nd Congressional district.

10:00 AM BREAK OUT SESSIONS

Ryan Goodman - Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Ryan Goodman is Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. Ryan directs the national Masters of Beef Advocacy program, a network of 15,000 agriculture advocates, empowering others to utilize their strengths and share the stories of the beef community. Ryan has worked in cow-calf, stocker and feeder sectors of the cattle business across the country. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University and has been recognized as Advocate of the Year and a Top 10 Industry Leader under 40 by several organizations. Ryan lives in Colorado and can be found online as @BeefRunner.

Helen Silver - Principal, Silver Sustainable Strategies, LLC Using her 15 years of experience in environmental law and policy, Helen works with environmental nonprofits, agricultural organizations, and academic institutions to advance sustainable policies and programs. Helen is a member of the coordination team for the Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils, on which she represents CSU Agriculture Experiment Stations. Helen’s diverse experience includes international environmental law, climate change and food systems policy. Helen received her Masters in Sustainability and Environmental Management from Harvard University Extension School in 2017. Within Harvard Extensions’ Sustainability Program, Helen co-instructs Assessing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Foundations of Global Security and The Role of Soil Health in Creating Sustainable Food Systems.

Max Neumeyer - Director of Policy, Mad Agriculture After graduating from Colorado College in 2009, Max worked on Capitol Hill before joining Teach For America and teaching middle and high school science for five years. After leaving the classroom, Max earned a Master of Public Policy with a focus on environmental policy and carbon removal. Max currently works as the Director of Policy at Mad Agriculture, a Boulder-based non-profit committed to reimagining and restoring our relationship with Earth through good agriculture. Mad Agriculture is working with partners across the state to organize the Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils and push for new policy that supports healthy soils.

Erin Foster West - Western Campaigns Director, National Young Farmers CoalitionErin advocates for young and beginning producers in Colorado as part of her duties. Before her tenure at Young Farmers, Erin worked for the US Department of Agriculture on conservation programs and supported USDA’s beginning farmer team. She also has experience with a number of nonprofits addressing conservation, local food, and food insecurity. Erin hails from Montana and holds a M.S. in agriculture policy from Tufts University and a B.A. from Macalester College.

Platte River Room – Hemp: Regulation and Finance

​Ken Boldt, State Bank Commissioner, Director of the Division of Banking,Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Mr. Ken Boldt is the Bank Commissioner for the State of Colorado and heads the Division of Banking at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). As State Bank Commissioner, he is responsible for the regulation of state-chartered banks, trust companies, licensed money transmitters, and the Public Deposit Protection Act subject to the policy and rule-making authority of the Colorado State Bank Board.

Commissioner Boldt joined the Division of Banking in April 2012 as a Supervising Examiner, and was appointed as the Deputy Bank Commissioner on November 1, 2013. He served as the Acting Bank Commissioner from January 1, 2014, until July 8, 2015. Prior to joining the Division, he was senior examiner and manager in the Examinations and Inspections Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch. Commissioner Boldt began his bank supervision career with the Reserve Bank in Kansas City and moved to Denver in 1984.

Laura Pottorff - Plant Health and Certification, Colorado Department of Agriculture Plant Industry Division Laura Pickett Pottorff is responsible for the oversight of industrial hemp, export, organic, nursery and seed programs, including inspection, pest and disease-free certification of agricultural and horticultural crops, and implementation of quarantines to protect Colorado agriculture and landscapes. With a background in integrated pest management and plant disease diagnostics she has also worked in the State University Extension system in Colorado and Oklahoma. Laura was raised in Denver and received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Botany and Plant Pathology from Colorado State University.

Tom Rainbolt - Vice President, American AgCredit Tom is the VP for American AgCredit in Greeley, Colorado handling a diverse portfolio of agricultural loans. He was raised on a farm in eastern Colorado and is an alumn of CSU.

Wondirad Gebru - Assistant Division Director, Colorado Department of Agriculture Plant Industry Division​Wondirad overlooks programs that support the plants industry including hemp, nursery, seed, organics, pesticides, and providing phytosanitary certification for export. He has worked for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and as state Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Ethiopia. Prior to that, he led the national agricultural extension program as a Director. He started his professional career as a researcher in nematology at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). Mr. Gebru has obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Applied Genetics from Addis Ababa University as well as a Master of Science degree in Nematology from the University of Gent, Belgium.

BRIDGING THE PRODUCER AND CONSUMER GAP WITH MEDIA

Ashley Anderson- Colorado State University​​Ashley Anderson is an Associate Professor in Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University where she is part of the Center for Science Communication. She teaches courses on communicating about science, environmental, and natural resource issues. Her research examines how communication shapes public engagement and public opinion of science and environmental topics, with a particular focus on digital media and social media environments.

Dana Coffield- Senior Editor, Colorado Sun​Dana Coffield is one of the founders and the senior editor for the Colorado Sun. Coffield has worked at news organizations of all sizes, including the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, the Associated Press bureaus in Denver and Cheyenne, weekly general interest and business publications in Boulder and Larimer counties and at the Daily Times-Call in Longmont. She has also worked as business editor at tech and natural products trade magazines.​

Jim Romanoff- Recipe Developer and Editor, EatingWell Magazine​​Jim is a longtime recipe developer for EatingWell and editor of EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry cookbook and EatingWell Serves Two. He wrote for the Associated Press then returned as the magazine's food editor in 2013. His career spans diverse publications such as Woman's Day, Rolling Stone, Us Magazine, Details and The Village Voice. A James Beard Award nominee, Jim has also won an IACP award (Bert Greene: Food Writing That Makes a Difference) and led panels on biodiversity and recipe development. He earned a degree in Medieval English from Oberlin College

Kathy Sabine- Chief Meteorologist, 9News Denver​​Kathy joined 9NEWS in the spring of 1993 and is the lead news weather forecaster Monday through Friday. She has worked in television since she graduated from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Kathy began college studying to be a veterinarian later switching her major to Journalism. She has won awards for storm chasing and was named best weather caster by the Douglas County Newspaper organization in several editions. She is involved with the National Western Stock Show, Colorado Horse Council, Colorado State Fair Foundation, and local 4H and FFA organizations.

Courtney Frasier- Executive Director, Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association ​Courtney manages marketing campaigns, member and legislative outreach, grant requests, business partner outreach, and general administration for the association. She grew up vacationing at dude ranches, worked at two Colorado dude ranches during college, and has visited ALL of the CDGRA ranches (25 in total) during 12 years as Executive Director. This gives her the unique opportunity to be a voice for her industry. In March of 2014, Courtney was appointed to the Colorado Tourism Board of Directors. In May of 2019, she was elected Chair of the CTO Board. She also served as the chair of the Destination Development Committee within the Colorado Tourism Office. In May of 2016, Courtney was asked to join the Colorado Agritourism Association Board of Directors. In 2019 she was elected President of the CAA.

Kelli Hepler- Destination Studios​Kelli Hepler has a degree in Commercial Art from Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs. Kelli developed an award winning Agritourism program for Delta County in 2005. She sits on the Board of the Colorado Agritourism Association and was part of a four-person team that developed the Strategic Plan for Colorado Agritourism and has presented over 50 workshops on the topic.

Neil Fischer- Colorado Buffalo Adventures​Neil Fischer has worked as a ranch and land real estate broker since 1993. In 1999 he and his wife began raising bison at a ranch south of Bailey, Colorado and in 2010 they purchased a second location south of Franktown, Colorado. Neil started a state wide local food hub called Farm2table Meats in 2013. In 2018 he expanded into agritourism. He and his wife host Buffalo Adventure Dinner Theatre and Buffalo Encounter events on their ranch near where they also allow others to host their own private events. Neil currently sits on the board of the Colorado Agritourism Association. He was a member of the Colorado Farm Bureau for four years and served as president of the Douglas County Colorado chapter from 2017-2018.

Corry Mihm-Executive Director, Colorado Agritourism AssociationCorry Mihm also sits on the Destination Development Committee of the Colorado Tourism Office. Both of these roles are designed to help improve the economics for rural communities and businesses in the realm of agritourism. Her involvement with state tourism promotion includes stints on the Colorado Tourism Office Board and committees, the Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations Board and Colorado Chamber of Commerce Executives Board. She is passionate about the spirit and heritage of Colorado and making sure companies and residents can make a living in order to maintain quality of life and stay here. She owns Project Works, which contracts with associations and businesses on business development, marketing, events, business intelligence and association management. Contact info: 970-389-3466 or cmihm@q.com.​

​Boulder Creek Room – Come to the Table: Brand Evolution at the College of Agricultural Sciences

Bob Taber- Marketing, Branding, and Advertising Strategist​A 40-year veteran of national advertising agencies in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, Bob has extensive food marketing experience for retailers Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Einstein Bros. Bagels; and consumer packaged goods including potato chips, beer, sardines, wine, breakfast cereal, dog food and frozen entrees. He has taught branding, advertising and marketing at the University of Oregon, Johnson & Wales University, University of Idaho and Colorado State University.

​Jami McMannes- Manager of Strategic Communications, Colorado State University, College of Ag SciencesDr. Norm Dalsted is a Professor and Extension Farm/Ranch Management Economist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Dalsted has worked in numerous areas of production agriculture including financial management, costs of production, risk management, estate and succession planning. Currently he and his colleague are holding a number of workshop throughout the state on succession and estate planning for producers and their families.Dr. Dalsted received his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University and his Ph. D. in Economics from Colorado State University. He has been in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics since 1981. He was selected into the Colorado Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2013. Dr. Dalsted is also a combat veteran having served as a platoon leader on the DMZ, Vietnam in 1969-70.

Lindsay Connors- Brand Strategist, Colorado State University`s Division of External RelationsOver the past decade Lindsay has written for the University’s key marketing campaigns: Find Your State (admissions), State Your Purpose (fundraising), and Proud to Be (brand). Specializing in audience analysis, she develops data-informed branding and marketing approaches that align with consumer mindsets and societal needs. Her professional passion is cultivating empathy and creativity through workshop design and facilitation. She is delighted by the College of Agriculture’s Come to the Table campaign and hopes you are, too.​

Dr. James Pritchett - Interim Dean, Colorado State University, College of Ag Sciences

Cindy Garretson- Weibel, Director, Wyoming L.E.A.D.​Cindy has directed the Wyoming L.E.A.D. program for 22 years. She is a Wyoming native and has been an advocate for Wyoming agriculture her entire 30-year career. She has a degree in agricultural communications from the University of Wyoming and served as the state of Wyoming agricultural marketing director. She was the CEO of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association early in her career.

Terry Hejny- Director, Nebraska LEAD​Terry Hejny is the Director of the Nebraska LEAD Program and the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council. Terry has served in this senior administrative position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2007. Terry was a member of Nebraska LEAD Group 20 and now, as Director of the Nebraska LEAD Program, he prepares and motivates men and women in agriculture for more effective leadership. Terry has led LEAD delegations to over 40 countries with his objective being that each participant will gain an improved understanding of the interdependence of nations and the need for our working together for the betterment of all nations. Agriculture has played a tremendous role in Hejny’s life as he was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Seward County, Nebraska.

​Platte River Room – Hemp: Production & Economics

Brad Lebsock- General Manager, L7 AG LLC​In 2016 Brad joined the family business, Lebsock 7, LLLP (The 7 standing for the 7 Lebsock children) as a general manager of L7 Trading, LLC, which bought and sold sunflower seeds and millet. L7 Ag, LLC was formed in June of 2018 with the purpose of cultivating industrial hemp in Colorado under the pilot program created by the 2016 farm bill. Brad is currently the general manager of L7 Ag, and he and his six siblings and parents continue to farm hemp in Sterling. They have now added two extraction facilities to the L7 Ag resume and are now selling isolate and CBD products as well. Growing up and working within the different family businesses Brad has honed his skills in accounting, negotiating, commodities trading and marketing.

Bethleen McCall-President, Colorado Hemp Industry Association ​Bethleen McCall is a fifth-generation ag producer from Yuma County. Her farm, Hemp Farm Colorado, was on the ground floor of Colorado’s hemp industry & is one of the original hundred registered & legal industrial hemp producers in the nation, growing since 2014. They specialize in year-round greenhouse production of high CBD feminized seed & trimmed flower. The farm also has experience growing hemp under center pivot for biomass as well as grain and fiber. She provides advising on the emerging hemp industry for agencies & existing businesses. Prior to farming full time, she worked in government & natural resource management. She also serves her community on various boards including Yuma City Council, Yuma County Economic Development Corporation & Water Authority and the Colorado Agriculture Preservation Association.

Adam Orens- Co-Founder, MPG ConsultingAdam has 14 years of experience in strategic advisory, management, economic and public policy consulting, with specialties in economic development, public finance, and land use. Adam provides strategic advice based on a deep knowledge of the relationships between markets, demographics and government policy. Adam has advised numerous early-stage hemp and cannabis businesses in their formation, strategy and business planning. He has also helped governments implement successful hemp and cannabis regulatory systems in Colorado, Canada, Florida and California. Adam is currently lead author of the Colorado Hemp Advancement and Management Plan (CHAMP) for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.​

3:30 PM Breakout Sessions

Noa Roman-Muniz- Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs, Colorado State University Department of Animal Sciences​​Dr. Noa Román-Muñiz has served as the Extension Dairy Specialist for the state of Colorado for the last 11 years. Her research and outreach efforts focus on the intersection between human and animal health, well-being and productivity. Román-Muñiz studies labor management and leadership strategies and culturally-congruent training interventions as a way to improve the sustainability of dairy operations. Román-Muñiz completed a pre-veterinary program at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez in 1997. She earned her D.V.M. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2001 and her M.S. in Clinical Sciences from CSU in 2004.

David Laskarzewski- UpRoot Colorado​David Laskarzewski was the primary organizer of Feeding the 5000 Front Range and is co-organizer of Food-1-1, a statewide coalition working to reduce food waste in Colorado. For the past two years, he has coordinated the Mobile Farm Workforce pilot project, a collaborative effort working to bring on-demand, efficient labor to Colorado farmers and ranchers. Before helping to organize UpRoot, he worked with purpose-driven organizations and startups writing content and implementing creative and social media strategies. Dave has a B.A. in English from Fairfield University and has completed post-graduate programs at both The Creative Circus in Atlanta and BDW in Boulder. Dave was an RMFU Fellow in 2018

Robert T. Sakata- Owner, Sakata Farms​Robert is founding President of the board of directors for the Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association which aims to fill a need for a common voice representing produce growers across the state. He serves on the board of directors of the Colorado Water Congress, the Fulton Irrigation Company and is the president of the New Brantner Irrigation Ditch Company. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Onion Association as well as the Colorado Agriculture Water Alliance executive committee and was recently appointed by Governor Polis to the Inter Basin Compact Committee. While studying at the Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology department at University of Colorado Robert worked for AMGEN when they opened their research labs in Boulder. Currently Sakata Farms grows dry bulb onions, winter wheat, grain corn, and pinto beans on his family farm.

Dr. Jennifer Martin- Assistant Professor, Meat Safety and Quality, Colorado State University​​Dr. Jennifer Martin, an Assistant Professor in Meat Safety and Quality, received her M.S. (2010) and Ph.D. (2014) from Texas Tech University before joining the Colorado State University faculty in the late Spring of 2015. Jennifer has an active research program which employs a systems-based approach to understand the complex pathways influencing the safety and quality of meat and related products. Her current research is focused on exploring the relationship between microbial and biochemical deterioration in meats, in addition to the development of strategies to mitigate the presence of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. In addition to research, Jennifer teaches numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, supervises multiple student organizations, and is involved in several local and national youth livestock organizations.

​Clear Creek Room – Stream & Watershed Management Planning

Greg Peterson- Executive Director, Colorado Agricultural Water AllianceGreg Peterson grew up in Littleton, CO, where he still lives after living around the world. He studied history and political economy. The past few years, Greg has been working with farmers and ranchers, learning more about water, agriculture, Colorado and the digestive habits of cattle than he thought possible. Greg reads and runs when he has the time.

Max Nathanson- Global Business Development Manager, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade​Max serves as Global Business Development Manager in the Colorado Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. He has extensive experience in sustainable development, in both domestic and international contexts. He covers an eight-industry portfolio for the State, withn emphasis on renewable energy, cannabis policy, rural economic development, and workforce development. A fifth-generation Coloradan, Max was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. He has lived in Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Spain, and the UK. He holds a master’s degree in International Development from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado, where he was a Norlin Scholar.​

Rebecca Laurie- Communication Leader and Engagement Strategist, Dept. of Regulatory Agencies Rebecca Laurie is a communications leader and an engagement strategist focused on policy and outreach to Colorado's banking and financial services industries. She focuses on such issues as cannabis banking, fintech and blockchain technologies. She is also project director on the state's Colorado Hemp Advancement Management Plan (CHAMP) led by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and on the Coalition for Financial Security led by the Office of the Attorney General. Rebecca previously spearheaded communications, community outreach and engagement, and developed marketing and public relations campaigns for History Colorado, the University of Denver and EchoStar Communications Corp. She grew up in Colorado, graduated from the University of Kansas.​

Brian Koontz- Industrial Hemp Program Manager, Colorado Department of Agriculture​Brian graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Natural Resource Management, then worked for the USDA Forest Service on Colorado and in Alaska. Returning to the Front Range, he entered the Urban Forestry and Arboriculture industry and started a family in the Parker area. Eleven years ago he began with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, working with farmers and ranchers regarding EPA and USDA regulations. Following the passage of Colorado Amendment 64, he began doing compliance assistance with the cannabis industry and was among the first in the nation to regulate cannabis on a State and Federal level. Brian has developed sampling and investigative guidelines for a new and evolving industry and aaand enjoys a leadership role for the Division of Plant Industry’s Hemp Program.

Hollis Glenn- Director of Inspection and Consumer Services, Colorado Department of Agriculture​With over 12 years of state regulatory experience, Hollis Glenn became the Director of the Inspection and Consumer Services Division at the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) in 2017. He oversees a number of agricultural inspection programs in Colorado. Hollis has been one of the lead directors for the Colorado Hemp Advancement and Management Plan, which set out to develop a regulatory structure and establish economic development of Colorado’s hemp industry. Prior to coming to CDA, he worked at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies/Division of Real Estate, first as an investigator then Deputy Director. Hollis is a Colorado native and earned his MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver.

EVENT PROGRAM

Brought to you by the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program and more than 50 organizations, businesses, and agencies interested in the future of Colorado agriculture. Proceeds from the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture will go to the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program to develop Colorado’s agricultural leaders.